Police: Middletown Woman Harassed Teenager On Internet

Stephanie DeFrance, 43, of Middletown was charged with harassment after allegedly sending messages online to a 15-year-old girl. According to the warrant, DeFrance told officers that she had sent the messages because the victim's boyfriend had mistreated her daughter.

Stephanie DeFrance, 43, of Middletown was charged with harassment after allegedly sending messages online to a 15-year-old girl. According to the warrant, DeFrance told officers that she had sent the messages because the victim's boyfriend had mistreated her daughter.

NICHOLAS RONDINONE, nrondinone@courant.comThe Hartford Courant

MIDDLETOWN — A local woman was arrested earlier this week and charged with harassment after allegedly sending messages online to a 15-year-old girl, police said.

Stephanie DeFrance, 43, of 62 Wildwood Lane, was wanted in connection with 65 harassing messages sent anonymously to the 15-year-old through the website Ask.fm, according to the arrest warrant.

She turned herself in at the police station around 8 p.m. on Monday, an arraignment report from the department shows.

The victim's mother told police in March that her daughter was being harassed over the Internet, according to the arrest warrant. The victim told police the messages began in January and continued into March, the warrant says.

DeFrance had told the victim that she knew who was sending the messages, blaming another teenager, the warrant says. She later admitted to the victim's mother that she had sent the messages herself and urged the mother not to tell anyone, saying it would jeopardize her job and family, the arrest warrant said.

According to the warrant, DeFrance later told officers that she had sent the messages because the victim's boyfriend had mistreated her daughter.

DeFrance was released without having to post bail and will appear in court on May 29.